August 31, 2016

Aurora over Høgtuva Mountain

Aurora over Høgtuva Mountain

The aurora borealis over Høgtuva Mountain in Norway. The Earth's magnetic field funnels particles from the solar wind over the polar regions. More than 80 kilometres above the ground, these collide with molecules in the atmosphere causing them to glow: green and pale red for oxygen and crimson for nitrogen.

Image Credit & Copyright: Tommy Eliassen
Explanation by: Royal Observatory Greenwich

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